Children are wired to move! Their movements encourage infants to figure out how their body moves, how it is connected, and then begins to feel the connectedness from within. This can not be taught by others. Young children change positions on the average of twice every minute. This is important and affects the brain-body connection, learning, and impacts every aspect of development. So with all this needed movement and exploration, why do we sit our children up? When children are sat, more commonly known as propped, all this exploring stops. In this position the infant can not move and explore how they are wired and they are missing out on so many body benefits - physical, social, emotional, and cognitive.
When a child is propped an increased amount of weight it put on the hips that they can not yet support, otherwise the infant would have gotten there already on their own. Core muscles are still strengthening through self-directed floor movements.
Think about it. If you are not sitting right now, go ahead and sit. I will wait…Are you strengthening your core? Nope! Now lay down and put your legs in the air. Move them and your body around how baby moves. Bingo! Core workout in action!! The other concern with propping is that our babies have to focus so much on sitting that they can’t explore. Propping causes an increase in vulnerability, lack of confidence, and inflates their natural need to explore.
Still unconvinced. Have someone place you in a position and do not move. How do you feel? If you want to try the propped position here’s how it would look. Sit in a chair or on the floor and place your legs out in front of you. Your head is larger as an infant so lean it back a little so it can be supported. Now slouch your chest down because the weight of your head and bring your arms in because they are not that long yet. Now how to your feel? You are now propped just like baby! Ready to explore?? By the way, with your chest weighted down over your ribs you are now getting less oxygen to the brain which can cause you to feel tired too.
For more information on propping you can visit:
https://www.janetlansbury.com/2012/04/sitting-babies-up-the-downside/
https://thepiklercollection.weebly.com/the-development-of-movement---stages.html